Power steering rack end swap

[vc commodore]

No not the tie rod end, the actual rack end snapped off at the knuckle joint.
Everything else is fine apart from that. I got lucky. I just cant seem to find a tab washer or grub screw. Its really odd.

Some knuckle head might have put loctite on the thread......This means it'll be as tight as all get go and a possibility of stuffing up the thread inside the rack....Putting loctite on it is stupid, as the washer previously mentioned is there to hold it in place and prevent it from undoing

 

[J_D 2.0]

Never had to do this....The rack end screws into the rack...The rack should, be held tight by the nuts and bolts to the K-frame

I’m on about the actual rack, the sliding bit with the geared slots in it that meshes with the pinion. I haven’t done the old school commodores before but if you have to unscrew the rack end off the sliding bit of the rack you should hold the sliding bit with a spanner (as close to the end as possible of course) so you aren’t twisting the rack inside the housing and putting pressure on the pinion.

 

[vc commodore]

I’m on about the actual rack, the sliding bit with the geared slots in it that meshes with the pinion. I haven’t done the old school commodores before but if you have to unscrew the rack end off the sliding bit of the rack you should hold the sliding bit with a spanner (as close to the end as possible of course) so you aren’t twisting the rack inside the housing and putting pressure on the pinion.

Don't need to.....Spanner, shifter or pipe wrench on the rack end and it'll undo....Done thousands of them and never stuffed one.

I suspect it either has loctite on the rack end thread, or as not an abba fan suggested, has a pin that needs to be drilled out....

 

[Vin999]

No not the tie rod end, the actual rack end snapped off at the knuckle joint.
Everything else is fine apart from that. I got lucky. I just cant seem to find a tab washer or grub screw. Its really odd.

Seems if it snapped of at the knuckle joint then it would have lost the big washer that others have mentioned. Since you need a new one and it best to install a set of 2 for both sides, have a look at the other side and you will see the big washer and how it goes on.

I recently changed/renewed my VL rack inner tie rods and outer tie rods (tie rod ends) which were still factory originals and both sides had the original washer bent over to lock on.

 

[vc commodore]

I have posted an image of the rack

Not sure if you can identify part numbers, but number 19 is the washer I am referring to...This is the washer that is being referred to as being bent over the end of the rackend....

If you are unable to identify this part number, I got the image by doing a google search typing in exploded view of a commodore rack....I see it as being helpful to see what you are to expect looking at it....

Here's the actual link to this site, where the google image is cropping up from
https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/vb-304-steering-rack-width.270337/

It's not too far down the page so that makes it easy to find